1NRC for Banana, Tiruchirapalli.
2ACPV, IARI, New Delhi.
Abstracts of Research Papers Presented during the National Symposium of Indian Virological Society at Unit of Plant Virology, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, October 14–1.
Banana is an important fruit crop in India. Four major viral pathogens viz., bunchy top virus, streak virus, bract mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus are known to cause significant yield loss in India and spread vertically through tissue culture plants. Virus indexing is an important step to assure the mother plants free of viruses before mass multiplication and distribution. PCR is widely used for virus testing for many of the plant viruses. For PCR testing our lab receives samples from many parts of India. Most of the time the samples received from long distance get rotted and cannot be used for PCR analysis. In this investigation the samles from bunchy top and banana streak virus infected plants were dried and stored at room temp, dried in vials having calcium chloride, oven dried at 50°C and then stored at room temp, refrigerated at 4°C and 86°C. The total nucleic acid was extracted from stored samples at weekly intervals and PCR was performed for detection of BBTV and BSV. The result revealed that the samples could be stored by drying with calcium chloride for two weeks for PCR detection purpose for both viruses. Both viruses are stable minimum for a week without refrigeration. Impact of this result in virus indexing by PCR is discussed in detail.
